We’ve all heard of the gender pay gap but what about the self promotion gap?
Women continue to earn less than men. In addition to inequality, patriarchy and misogyny some of the responsibility lies with us, women. As well as a pay gap, there exists a self promotion gap. The self promotion gap is the disparity between how willing women are to recognise, acknowledge, or speak up about their own capabilities and accomplishments compared to their male colleagues. In practical terms this means women are pursuing fewer opportunities, applying for fewer jobs and putting themselves forward for fewer promotions. Women are less likely to talk about their achievements, more likely to play down their skills and generally ask for less money. Whether it’s experiences in formative years of social conditioning, the result is the same. The gender pay gap persists and representation of women in senior leadership roles increases at a glacial pace. And there’s plenty of research based evidence to prove that it happens.
Working hard and doing a good job is essential but it’s not enough for women who want to progress to leadership positions. Women in the workplace often hesitate to self promote but effective leadership isn’t just individual competence. It’s also the ability to speak up, share your opinions, make decisions and act in the right way at the right time.
The thought of self promotion may make you feel uncomfortable but a reluctance to self promote may be holding back your career. If you can get comfortable with highlighting your hard work, you’ll see the benefits and collectively we’ll see more women in leadership roles.
What is the self promotion gap
Numerous studies have examined the differences between the ways men and women self-promote or think about self-promotion. In one study, men and women were asked to rate their competencies on various skills. Men rated their own performance on average 33% higher than their female counterparts did, even though those women were in fact equally competent. Women in tech have been found to be far less likely to report being ‘proficient’ or ‘skilled’ in programming languages on their CVs, even when they have those skills. Another study found that women applying for jobs against equally qualified men wrote lower expected salaries on their applications. And finally, on one test men and women who had performed equally well were asked to rate their performance. On average, the women rated their performance as 24% worse than the men did.
What is the cost of not promoting yourself?
In the UK, research shows that false modesty costs women upwards of £350,000 in earning potential by the age of 60. Only 7% of women compared to 58% of men negotiated their first job offer. In studies, men describe negotiations, where they must 'big themselves up', as 'fun', like 'winning a ball game', while women describe negotiations as 'scary', and 'like going to the dentist'.
How comfortable are you self promoting?
Are you someone who struggles with self promotion? Are the questions on job applications you find the hardest the ones that ask you to describe a time when you achieved or excelled? Does it feel completely alien to talk about yourself and your achievements in such positive and glowing terms? Are you happy to do it but only when it feels necessary? Does it make you feel icky but you do it if pushed? Or would you literally rather go to the dentist? Let's look at the causes of the self promotion gap and what could be stopping you.
The fear of not being good enough
Are you afraid that you won’t live up to expectations? Perhaps you’re reluctant to shout about your achievements or highlight your successes in case you get chosen and then fail to meet the grade or end up being a disappointment? Playing small could be your way of protecting yourself from these potentially negative feelings and experiences.
Social conditioning
Social conditioning is a major factor in why women don’t self-promote. The pressure on women to be seen as ‘non-aggressive’, as ‘not pushy’, to be ‘modest’ and ’humble’ rather than ‘bragging’ or ‘showing off’. In studies of perceptions of professionals, male leaders were associated with competitiveness, self-confidence and a more aggressive approach to work. Women associated with qualities related to concern for others — being affectionate, helpful, friendly, kind and sympathetic. This has been dubbed the ‘good girl’ phenomenon and it’s not doing anyone any favours.
Another phenomenon worth mentioning here is the ‘wait to be asked’ phenomenon. A great example of this in action is something that happened at Google. Bosses noticed that their female employees were far less likely to put themselves forward for a job promotion. So, they started sending out invitations to do just that, asking all their employees to put themselves forward for a promotion. Each time they did that, the number of female applications soared. Clearly there was no lack of ambition on the part of those female employees. They were simply waiting to be invited, rather than striking out on their own. Are you waiting for an invitation?
How can women leaders get more comfortable with self promotion?
Play to your strengths
None of us can excel at everything we do; it’s important that we understand what our own unique talents are so that we can utilise these to best effect. Research has shown that playing to your strengths can make you feel happier, enable higher self-esteem, increase confidence, build resilience, reduce stress. It can also help you learn faster and keep you more engaged.
It is important, though, that you don’t ‘overplay’ your strengths, as it has been found that this can lead to burnout. If you think of your strength as a muscle, underuse makes it weaker, but overuse leads to fatigue. Using it just the right amount keeps it strong. If you’re not sure what your strengths are use this free online Strengths Finder https://www.viacharacter.org/
Focus on your impact
What difference are you making in your organisation and to the people you work with? In other words, when we showcase ourselves in terms of the impact we have on our team or the wider business, we can actually help others to better understand our role, identify what they should come to us for, and recognise how the valuable work we do fits into the bigger picture.
We not me
If you feel uncomfortable talking about your own achievements, then switching the narrative to focus on what your team has achieved can alleviate some of that discomfort.
Celebrate passions
What is it that really drives you within your role? Is it making a difference to your stakeholders experience? Is it hitting challenging targets month in month out? Is it about fostering a creative team environment? If you have a clear grasp on what drives you, then you’re helping others around you, your line manager, your stakeholders and your teammates by sharing those passions.
Become a thought leader
We all benefit from the different ideas, opinions and viewpoints of others and your ideas and viewpoints are an essential part of the mix of this workplace. We should think of sharing our ideas as a real service to our teams and the women leaders who need a role model.
Raising your hand
Once you’ve spent time identifying your strengths, you are much better positioned to notice the projects and tasks that give you the opportunity to demonstrate those skills and talents in action.
Which of these ideas for self-promotion feels like it could work for you? Back to those interview questions, think about a recent success or achievement. How could one of these methods help you to ‘blow your own trumpet’?
While it's about us as individuals, there's a wider issue here too. Here is something else for us to reflect on: 83% of women have been inspired by hearing women talk about their successes and accomplishments. In short, we need more female role models who are willing to stand up and be loud and proud about their successes. What if we were to reframe the idea of self-promotion as an altruistic activity? What if we could step outside our discomfort and speak up as a way to inspire other women to do the same?
If you could commit to that, what impact would it have on the women coming up behind you in your teams? What impact would it have on the self-promotion gap and the gender pay gap? On the number of women entering executive positions? We need to normalise success for women so they say, ‘That could be me.”
And if you know that self promotion could help you get the recognition you deserve in your career, sign up to my Ready to Rise career development community for tips, resources and monthly coaching sessions here
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